Epilogue
EPILOGUE
Smith
Sitting at the bar I twist the bottle around in my hand, once again, asking myself how the fuck I ended up here. Our business with the Dirty Sinners have come to an end, so I shouldn’t be here waiting and watching for her to show up. I knew the first time that I took her to the motel that it would be nothing more than that one night. The only fucking problem right now, is that one night wasn’t enough. I crave her day and night. Fucking hell, it’s been months and it still isn’t enough.
I want her. I want to give her everything that she’s never had. I don’t know her past, or even her present, yet I still want to give her every one of her heart’s desires. What I do know, is the despair that I see in hers that mirror my own calls to me like a moth to the flame. I want to peel away the veneer of the woman she shows the world to find the real woman that lies beneath. I want to be the man that she’s willing to be soft with.
The door to my right opens, and it takes every ounce of strength that I have to not turn around to see who’s coming through it.
Becca smirks as she makes her way over to me. “You know, I’ve never seen a man struggle so hard not to be obvious. So, I’m going to cut you some slack. One, it’s been almost two months since she was last here. And two, that wasn’t her coming through the door.”
Smiling at her, a chuckle breaks free. “Has anyone ever told you that you’re an angel?”
“All the time, sugar. You want another one?” Becca questions.
“Nah, I think I’m going to head out. I’ll see you around.” I throw some money down on the bar as I get up and move toward the door.
I make it through the jamb when a mass of red hair slams into my chest. She doesn’t even look up or try to meet my eyes.
“Shit, I’m sorry,” she mumbles, sounding so fragile.
“Cheyenne?” I’m shocked. “What happened? Are you okay?”
She lifts her head with tears running unchecked down her cheeks. “Smith? What? Are you really here?”
“Cheyenne, tell me what's wrong,” I demand, cupping her face so she can’t look away.
“She almost died. I almost lost the only person in the world that means anything to me. She was in the room right next to me, and she almost died. I was right there, and he still got to her,” Cheyenne rambles as sobs shake her body.
I wrap her in my arms, pulling her so her face rests between my pecs. She fists my shirt at my waist, holding on to me as if I’m going to disappear. I get lost in holding her, allowing her to break in a way that I don’t believe she ever allows herself to. When the sobs finally subside, to a point that her body isn’t shaking and her breathing has evened out, I pull back so I can see her face. Taking in her tear streaked face and the pain written there, I want to hide her away from the world.
“Come with me. Let’s go for a fucking ride,” I whisper.
I watch as various emotions flit through her eyes and hold my breath as I wait for her answer. My world tilts when a smile spreads across her imp-like face.
Her smile is painfully beautiful. “Let’s do it. Let’s go for a ride.”
We spend the rest of the night, and into the next morning, riding through the hills of Tennessee. Just as the sun starts to rise, I pull into the shabby motel I’ve been staying in while in town. I park directly before my room, kicking my kickstand down and allowing her to slide off the bike before I stand. We’re so close that I can see the gold flecks in her bright blue eyes.
We don’t move, just watch each other without saying a word. Cheyenne takes me by surprise when she jumps up, wrapping her legs around my waist and slanting her mouth over mine. I kiss her like it’s going to be the last time we’re ever going to be together. Blindly, I walk us toward my motel room. I reach the door, bracing her against it as I try to dig my keycard out of my pants, and hold her with one hand cupping her fine ass. About the time I get the keycard out of my cut the door behind Cheyenne opens, revealing an annoyed looking older woman.
“Can I help you?” she sneers, looking between us disapprovingly.
Cheyenne pulls away from the kiss, turning to the older woman. “I’m so sorry! We’ll be on our way now.”
When Cheyenne turns back to me, she bursts out laughing, hiding her face in the crook of my neck. Her laughter warms the darkest parts of my being. I look left and right, finding that I’m two doors down from my own. I drag Cheyenne away from the older woman’s door and make my way to my room. Cheyenne starts kissing me up and down my neck, eliciting a groan to erupt from deep within my chest.
I finally get her into my room and pin her against the wall, pulling her mouth back to mine. The kiss leads into us spending the rest of the morning fucking on every surface, and in every position possible until the sun is set high in the sky, rendering us incapable of keeping our eyes open any longer. I close my eyelids with Cheyenne tucked close into my body, anchoring me to the present and keeping away the ghost from my past.
Peeling my eyes open, I reach out to my side, finding the bed empty and cold. Bolting upright on the mattress, I listen for any movement, not finding any. I look around the small room, not seeing any of her stuff scattered around. My vibrating phone in my cut brings my attention to the small table under the window, where Cheyenne hung it on the chair when she slid it off my shoulders.
On the table, a piece of paper lays. Standing, I make my way to the table first reaching in my cut to grab my phone, ensuring everything is okay before I read the words she wrote.
Smith,
You never fail to make things better—if only for a moment. We can’t do this again. I’ve taken a job in a different town.
Live your life like you ride your bike. Fearless and happy!
Chey!
I want to be angry, only I can’t. I’ve always known this wasn’t going to turn into a long-lasting relationship.
“Yeah?” I ask.
“We need you home. It’s Mom and Blue!” Wesson’s tone is chilling, it has me rushing to slide my clothes on and head for the door.
His words rip my chest open, leaving my heart shattered on the floor. I can’t lose both Mom and Blue. One is bad enough, but both, that’d not only rock my little family, but leave the club obliterated. Steel can’t function without her, and Blue is mother to us all. I can’t find the words to reply to him. I just stand there, staring at the nasty, dirt ridden carpet.
“Smith! Fucking, hell. Smith, answer me!” Wesson yells.
I snap back to the here and now, and finish pulling the rest of my clothes on. Pulling the door open, I step outside as the sun is beginning to set. It’s too beautiful out here to be getting the type of news that I just received. I make it to my bike taking a seat on it as I finish the call.
“Where’s Rem?” I snap, the heartbreak I’m suffering choking me up.
“With Vixen and Edge at the clubhouse. Things aren’t looking good! How long will it take you to get here?” Wesson sighs.
“I’m about three and half hours out,” I respond, clenching my hand around the phone.
“Did you find her?” Wesson throws out, stopping me in my tracks.
“I did, and like the imp she is, she flitted in and out in a blink,” I chuckle.
“Fuck, brother. I don’t know what to do. They're both still in surgery, and I just don't know,” Wesson says, sounding completely broken.
“Where is everyone else?” I question him.
“They’re on the way. Get back here, and do it safely,” Wesson tells me before ending the call.
Reaching over, I flip the key on my bike before pushing the button to bring her to life. Just as I shift her into gear a car pulls into the parking lot in a hurry. For about five seconds, I think that I see long red hair before shaking my head at the preposterous thought, because there is no way she's come back.
Pulling onto the highway, I open my baby up, letting her run full-throttle to get back to my family, praying to whoever is listening that we don’t lose the two most important women in my life.
Until Next Time…